Bad ‘Idol’ Singers Set Record-High Ratings

The New York Daily News reports that the first night of ‘American Idol’ averaged 35.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. “Obviously, I was a little surprised, but extremely pleased,” ‘Idol’ executive producer Ken Warwick said. “It’s a cold, hard fact that everything in television has a sell-by date. I know the product is good, but I know that what the audience likes doesn’t always have to be good.”